Valentine's Day

So it is only a month until Valentine's Day.  I have no idea what to get my mom and honestly I'm not feeling that much in the spirit since she made me a vet appointment for that day.  But if you are looking for a gift for your pooch then here are some gifts any dog would like.

For the dog that has everything how about a little blue box.  My mom has boxes like this on her dresser at home so I figure it must be a good gift. 

My mom loves these little blue boxes!

For those of you that will still be buried under snow come Valentine's Day, how about a lovely sweater for your dog.  This one is pink and blue and I think it would look good on either a boy or a girl dog.  And it comes in larger sizes.

I wouldn't mind wearing this sweater if it was cold where I lived.

A personal favorite, my mom got this for me a few months ago, is this "Mommy Dearest" collar (there is a leash too) that lets everyone know how much your dog loves you.  Also it looks like a tattoo but I'm going to guess it is a lot less painful.

This is one of many collars my mom has bought for me.

If your dog is going to a party (like me) he is going to need at least an accessory.  How about this little collar attachment? And they even have a matching collar (more up my alley than a bow). These little beauties are pretty reasonably priced ($6-$9) so almost any dog can feel special on Valentine's Day. 

This "bow" snaps right on your collar - it's like a doggy corsage!

And if you think your pet is even more festive check out these Valentine's Day "hats" or the cupid wings (but don't tell my mom about those or I may have to wear them).

In n Out

So last night my mom got stuck in traffic and was late picking me up from daycare.  Then she said she had to use the restroom (she won't go outside like me) and it was getting past my dinner time so she pulled in to this place with a big yellow and red sign and went inside for a little bit.  When she came back she got me out and we had a picnic - it was my first In-n-Out hamburger (well just the patty) and it was FANTASTIC.



I think I'm in love!


I hope we get to go back again - I better be on my best behavior.

Woman's Best Friend

Chopper really is my best friend. He's (usually) the most easy-going roommate I've ever had. He is always happy to see me, even if I'm an hour late, and one goofy look will make me smile. Afew months ago when I cam across this little gem at Trixie + Peanut that I thought was just too cute:

Now at first I had some flashbacks to junior high (not all good) but I decided in the end that we had to have it.

I thought I would put mine on my keyring and Chopper's on his collar and we would be very cute. The problem was that it was really tiny (really is more of a charm size). Nonetheless I put it on the key ring and got Chopper's on his collar (along with his city license, his ID tag and his St. Francis medal). Now Chopper has only ever lost one ID tag (some have just worn out) so I was pretty sure this was a safe bet. The cost ($12) was not too bad if we had to replace it though so I wasn't that worried if he lost his.

Guess who lost it first? Me. My key ring opened up after a meeting and keys flew everywhere. A colleague helped me collect them and when I was certain I had all the keys I left. I forgot about my little charm though. So now I have to order another one because poor Chopper is walking around with "be frie" around his neck and I don't have my "st nds" and I don't want him to feel like some poor junior high girl whose best friend stopped wearing her charm.

Either way I though it was just too cute not to share. Also if you sign up for the newsletter at Trixie + Peanut they send you coupon codes. The next time I'm in NYC I'll have to check out the shop.

New Year's Improvement

Well I am pretty happy with myself so I'm not sure I really need to make a New Year's resolution.  I go on walks daily, I eat organic food, and since the Three Dog Bakery closed in Santa Monica I only get desserts on special occasions.  But everyone can improve a little (even me) so my mom has signed me up for Scent Discrimination Class.

I'm not sure how this is going to go - I am a coonhound so hopefully that will give me an advantage and I'm really good at finding treats so I'm hoping this won't be too hard.  Class starts next Sunday morning (doesn't my mom know I need my beauty sleep?) so I will report back with just exactly is happening there.

The other area I am looking to improve on is how I treat my guests.  I have gotten a lot better with having people guests over (I'm not as scared anymore) but I have been a little jealous when my buddies come over.  Sometimes they want to take my treats and sleep on my beds and get petted instead of me or lick a bowl that I've had my eye on.  I am ashamed to say that I don't act nice when that happens and I bark in their faces and tell them "to go home."  My mom says this is not nice and I've been getting timeouts.  I get separated for a few minutes in my room and then I can come out and play again.  I don't respond well to getting yelled at or scolded or negatively punished in anyway so I have to be removed from the room for some "me time."  Then I can choose to come out again or just stay in bed. 

So those are the areas I would like to improve in - learn to smell some new things and be nicer to my friends - pretty good for a dog.